Finally got well enough to set up the Oehler and pop a few out of the cut-down .500 I finished up last week. Shroud is shortened from the rear, barrel from the front and threaded for a muzzle nut like a Dan Wesson.
The only ammo I had loaded was some 400 grain thunderbolts that went 1880 in this gun when it was stock.
These loads use long-nose semi-pointed bullets that only have .200" shank in the case, thus the big powder capacity and great velocity. They are loaded with surplus WC680 powder designed for the 7.62x39 ammo used in hot climes. WC680 is a TERRIBLE powder in cold weather, and it's been 5-15 degrees here lately.
I kept the ammo and gun in the heated car by the defroster and set up the Oehler. Loaded the gun and quickly fired a string, reloaded and fired another.
When the gun came from the factory the b/c gap was .009". After I cut the barrel and shroud and set the now-6" gun up like a Dan Wesson, I set the gap at .004" to maybe gain back a little of the velocity I knew I'd be losing from the shorter barrel.
The 10-shot results were
1811 Average
48 Extreme spread
17 Standard deviation
When the weather warms up a little I'll get more data on more loads, including Hornady factory.
Answering the inevitable question, you don't have to stand in front of it to see if it went off, but it's barely worse than the de-lugged 8 3/8" gun, which in turn was maybe 10%-15% worse than the stocker.
I am very pleased.
Pics of this and my de-lugged and de-comped 8 3/8" 500 are at
http://www.john-ross.net/guns_and_shootong.htm
on the first links under "Photos". Feel free to post them in this thread. I'm not smart enough to do that.
Off to SHOT tomorrow night to twist S&W's arm...
JR
The only ammo I had loaded was some 400 grain thunderbolts that went 1880 in this gun when it was stock.
These loads use long-nose semi-pointed bullets that only have .200" shank in the case, thus the big powder capacity and great velocity. They are loaded with surplus WC680 powder designed for the 7.62x39 ammo used in hot climes. WC680 is a TERRIBLE powder in cold weather, and it's been 5-15 degrees here lately.
I kept the ammo and gun in the heated car by the defroster and set up the Oehler. Loaded the gun and quickly fired a string, reloaded and fired another.
When the gun came from the factory the b/c gap was .009". After I cut the barrel and shroud and set the now-6" gun up like a Dan Wesson, I set the gap at .004" to maybe gain back a little of the velocity I knew I'd be losing from the shorter barrel.
The 10-shot results were
1811 Average
48 Extreme spread
17 Standard deviation
When the weather warms up a little I'll get more data on more loads, including Hornady factory.
Answering the inevitable question, you don't have to stand in front of it to see if it went off, but it's barely worse than the de-lugged 8 3/8" gun, which in turn was maybe 10%-15% worse than the stocker.
I am very pleased.
Pics of this and my de-lugged and de-comped 8 3/8" 500 are at
http://www.john-ross.net/guns_and_shootong.htm
on the first links under "Photos". Feel free to post them in this thread. I'm not smart enough to do that.
Off to SHOT tomorrow night to twist S&W's arm...
JR
